1.
dangerous, perilous, precarious
In a state of danger or instability where something bad could easily happen. Describes situations that are on the verge of going wrong.
命が危うい。
One's life is in danger.
あのチームの優勝は危うい状況だ。
That team's chance of winning the championship is in a precarious state.
橋は崩壊の危機にあり、通行は危うい。
The bridge is at risk of collapse and crossing it is dangerous.
2.
narrowly, barely (with く)
In the adverbial form 危うく, means 'nearly' or 'almost' — typically describing a narrow escape from something bad.
危うく転ぶところだった。
I almost fell down.
危うく電車に乗り遅れるところだった。
I almost missed the train.
危うく大事故になるところを、運転手の判断で回避できた。
What could have nearly become a major accident was averted thanks to the driver's judgment.
More literary and formal than 危ない. The adjective form 危うい is used predicatively to describe precarious situations. The adverbial form 危うく is extremely common in the pattern 危うく～ところだった (I almost ~).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 命が危うい — one's life is in danger
- 立場が危うい — one's position is precarious
- 危うく～ところだった — almost did ~
- 危うく難を逃れる — to narrowly escape danger